San Diego Auto Repair

Here at Convoy, we have covered many different battery-related topics including battery basics and how often a battery should be changed. However, the battery is actually only one aspect within your vehicle’s charging system and it’s not even the most important. The most important part of this system is the alternator. Image: Product Engineering The alternator is a mechanical device attached to the engine that runs off your vehicle’s serpentine belt. While the motor is running, the alternator spins, which converts mechanical energy into electrical power that powers all electric features like the lights, radio, and more. All batteries have a full charge output of around 12 volts which is plenty ... read more

We've been talking about the next family car lately, and the SUV seems like it's here to stay. With crazy innovation seemingly every year and the largest market segment out there, the family SUV is one of those important decisions people across the country are making. More versatile than the minivan and more stylish to boot, the family SUV is something to be proud of. So what's 2014 got on the horizon? Check out part 1 of our top 10 best family SUVs here, and read on for the rest! 2014 Kia Sorento—With seven passenger seating, an available 3.3 liter 290 horsepower V6 that is the picture of potency and smoothness as well as a beautifully styled exterior, there are few reasons not to consider a 2014 Kia Sorento. This SUV is truly midsize and pretty much stands alone between the CR-V sized compact SUV segment and the larger models such as the Dodg ... read more

There is no market segment out there in the car industry that is more important to consumers or has the ability to make or break the profitability of a car company. That market segment, of course, is the family SUV segment and it covers such a wide depth and breadth of pricing, size and luxury that you could say it mirrors the state of American families today perfectly. These vehicles are the daily workhorses used by millions to haul kids to school, perform hauling duties, tow trailers and generally be pushed to the limits of their ability. So they really, really have to be good. As follows is our list of the top ten best  family SUVs on the market today and we have test driven all of them to ensure that they are the best of the best. They are all at the top of the heap when it comes to crash test safety so you can also be sure they will keep your family safe in case of an accident. And of lesser importance, they all have interiors robust enough to withstand countless juice box s ... read more

We've been talking about manual transmissions - stick shifts, as they're more popularly known - because there's just something great about changing your own gears and having extra control over your driving. Sure, automatic is great when you're stuck in LA traffic or trying to scarf a breakfast burrito on the way to the office, but for safe, efficient, enjoyable driving, manual transmissions are where it's at. In our last blog post, we showed you 5 manual transmission cars that came in under $25,000 that are ideally suited for people looking for a more enjoyable commute, who don't need to haul a lot of stuff all the time, and who want low maintenance and high mileage. This time, we'll look at manual transmission cars up to $30,000 that are better suited for a young family or someone who wants to graduate to a bit more luxury. Phot ... read more

Are you the kind of person who believes the only job worth doing is the one you do for yourself? If so, then no doubt you are the type of driver who prefers to shift your own gears and work your own clutch pedal when hitting the open highway or local city streets. There are some drivers as well who claim that a manual transmission is essential to actually getting in touch with a true love of driving. But what if you don’t have enough cash in your bank account to afford that BMW sport sedan you had always promised you would buy yourself so you would learn to love your commute again? Well, there is no need to relegate yourself to the mind numbing monotony of an automatically self-shifting gearbox that won’t let you make your own driving decisions (sorry, automatic drivers). We found ten currently-available vehicles with manual transmission options that are priced below $30,000 and should be attainable by those who must work for a living. The first half of this list is for tho ... read more

Apparently almost 2 million Southern Californians are hitting the road between today and Monday, and most of them are headed to San Diego. Time to reinforce your homes!!! Kidding. But there will be a lot more people in America's Finest City this weekend than there have been probably all summer long. And who can blame them? Crazy beautiful beaches, warm (but not unbearable) weather, incredible hiking and other outdoor activities, and a real love for what makes life enjoyable beckon all. If you're planning on staying put this weekend, here's a short list of some events around the county you might want to check out. We've included activities that don't require a car because our roadways might be a bit congested... No matter how you choose to celebrate, enjoy your Labor Day weekend (and remember we'll be closed on Monday)! Festival of Sail ... read more

Last week we attacked some of the most popular myths about American cars and totally BUSTED them. We rounded up the 10 most widely believed myths about American-made cars that car buyers still believe and present the evidence that proves they're all talk. This week, we have the second half of our car myths ready for busting! Adam and Jamie would be proud. Myth 6: All three companies would have gone under completely without Government aid—This may have been so in the case of Chrysler and GM (and even they paid off their aid in record time) but Ford took no Government aid, borrowing instead against everything the company owned - including its own logo. This paid off and now Ford is running a huge profit on it ... read more

For decades, many in the car-buying public looked upon the vehicles built by “The Big Three” (also known as Chrysler, Ford and GM) as inferior pieces of engineering work and inferior when it came to quality. Sadly, there were a few years way back when that this preconceived notion about American automobiles was wholeheartedly true; they simply were not as good as the European or Japanese competition. However, it has now been years since quality surveys showed any difference in vehicle quality due to where the manufacturer is based. If you look around nowadays, carmakers like Honda, BMW and Kia are just as likely to announce a recall on one of their vehicles for a safety or quality problem. Cars, trucks, SUVs, crossovers and even minivans are still mainly assembled by and are the creations of human beings and, sadly, humans are fallible and sometimes make mistakes. So perhaps it’s time you reconsider some of your pre-held n ... read more

Newsflash: it's already August. Parents are thinking about back to school, vacations are wrapping up, and the summer heat is just getting started. Just because the end of summer is near doesn't mean squat to the sun; August and September are San Diego's hot weather months. And when temperatures start to climb so high that you’d do almost anything to escape the heat (including go to the mall), then you know it’s time to take a drive in your convertible to a cooler locale, preferably near an ocean or other body of water. This long enjoyed ritual of taking a top-down convertible drive to nowhere in particular (although we do have a collection of the top summer driving routes) means it’s just as important what car you drive to get there. We've taken five highly varied convertible options that all serve different budgets, tastes and numbers of passengers to bring you the top 5 convertibles for an end of summer drive. A convertible is best enjoyed during the summer months with just a driver ... read more

Detroit was once a haven for prosperity and American-grown innovation thanks to its booming auto industry. But in 2008, this image changed as the “Big Three” auto manufacturers – General Motors, Chrysler and Ford – began to face catastrophic losses, known as the Detroit Auto Crisis. The Big Three, looking to earn high profit margins on their cars, focused their attention on SUVs and pickup trucks, cars with low fuel efficiency, which became unpopular as gas prices soared. Once gas prices tipped above $4 a gallon, gas-guzzling cars became totally undesirable, and the Big Three saw historic losses. High gas prices coupled with the stock market crash in September 2008 all but crippled the Big Three, particularly General Motors. In November 2008, General Motors’ Chief Executive pled before Congress for support. In December, the company was granted a $13.4 loan. Sales continued to plummet for the Big ... read more